Rabat – King Mohammed VI has congratulated Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdelaziz on his appointment as Crown Prince by his father King Salman Bin Abdelaziz.

A statement released by the Moroccan Royal cabinet Wednesday said that King Mohammed VI spoke over the phone with Mohammed Bin Salman on the occasion of his appointment as Crown Prince and on the “trust granted to him,” wishing him “success in his supreme mission.”

“During this phone call, HM the King extended to HRH the Crown Prince his heartfelt congratulations for the trust put in him and his sincere wishes of full success in conducting his mission under the wise leadership of the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques,” added the statment.

The King also emphasized Morocco and Saudi Arabia’s sincere brotherhood and the distinguished relations based on fruitful cooperation and effective solidarity, noting Morocco’s keenness to further strengthen their ties in various fields.

The Saudi Arabia’s Allegiance Council voted 31 to 34 in favor of Mohammed Bin Salman, according to the Saudi channel Al Arabiya.

The newly appointed Crown Prince replaces Mohammed Bin Nayef, who held the position of Heir until today’s reshuffle. Mohammed Bin Nayef, who is a nephew of King Salman, was dismissed from his positions as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior.

The newly issued royal decree also named Mohamed Bin Salman Deputy Prime Minister. Before his appointment as heir apparent, MBS was previously deputy Crown Prince and Minister of Defense and head of an economic council in charge of implementing Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.

Prior to becoming next-in-line to the Saudi throne, Mohammed Bin Salman was in charge of his father’s royal court when King Salman was Crown Prince.

The reshuffle comes amid an unprecedented diplomatic crisis crippling the Gulf region after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt decided to sever diplomatic ties with Qatar, shutting down all air, land and sea borders with the gas-rich country.